Previewing and Predicting Boston College Men’s Basketball vs. Louisville

At 3-3 in the ACC, each game becomes more and more important as Boston College attempts to earn its first NCAA tournament berth in more than a decade. ACC game number 7 will be no cakewalk either, as the Eagles will travel to Louisville to take on the Cardinals. Louisville is currently the number 16 team in RPI. This would be a huge resume booster for Jim Christian and his team if they want to be in the conversation on Selection Sunday. After missing out on big wins against Clemson and UVA, getting a win on the road against a very good team would go a long way.

Keys to the Game

The most important key for the Eagles today will be to protect the basketball. Similarly to FSU, Louisville likes to press and use their length and athleticism to create turnovers, which lead to easy buckets. If Ky Bowman and Jerome Robinson can continue to break presses with relative ease, this game will at least be close. If the Louisville defense doesn’t let BC get into rhythm offensively, this could be a loooooong game for the Eagles.

Louisville’s Strengths

As stated above, Louisville is long, athletic, and loves to force turnovers. Louisville has been a very good team this year, coming in with a 14-4 record, and, aside from their matchup with Kentucky, have been in every game this year, including close losses to Purdue, Clemson, and Seton Hall. Look for them to try to make a statement on their home floor.

Cardinal To Watch Out For

#4 Quentin Snider is the engine that makes Louisville go. A 6’2” point guard, Snider averages 13, 3, and 4, so in other words, he’s a poor man’s Ky Bowman. My guess is Ky will be on him from the get-go and will be responsible with taking him out of the game as much as possible. It’ll also be interesting to see who is tasked with guarding Deng Adel, Louisville’s best scorer on the wing. Depending on their lineup it’ll either be Jordan Chatman or Steffon Mitchell.

Predictions

Matt: 76-70 BC. They handle turnovers and handle Louisville.

Katie: 70-68 Louisville

Toppin: 80-67 Louisville

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